The disappearing Skype trick!

[GTP]

Got another rash of disappearing Skypes. Just had the fourth this week.
Skype is totally gone! No processes, no files/folders, no icons, no registry items - nothing!?

Anyone else getting this?

Edit: just got a 5th.

 

[occsean]

I could only hope that it disappears. Hate that app.

 

[GTP]

I could only hope that it disappears. Hate that app.

Yeah, me too. But when I suggest Pidgin or Jitsi as an alternative they want to burn me at the stake!

 

[Diggs]

Full Skype download or Skype Preview in Win10?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Don't have a lot of plain "Skype" users, since we're biz only we have lots of Skype for Business on O365 users (including ourselves..we use it heavily in our office). Not seeing issues with the Biz version.

 

[Archon Prime]

Probably Windows 7 most likely.

 

[GTP]

Full Skype download or Skype Preview in Win10?

Full Skype download.

 

[GTP]

Probably Windows 7 most likely.

Sorry, I should have mentioned it 's happening on Windows 10 and 7. Just had another Win 10 to do.
So far, 2 Windows 7 and 5 Windows 10.

 

[GTP]

Just to be pragmatic for a moment - on the Windows 10 machines why not just create a desktop link to the Skype Preview program, remove the old desktop application, and call it an upgrade?

For what it's worth, the Skype Preview seems to be faster and less resource hungry than the old desktop Skype so on lower-specced machines it really is an improvement.

(I almost suggested "upgrading" the WIndows 7 machines to Windows 10 and playing the same trick, but I don't think I'd get away with that.)

It all comes down to what the customer wants.
Just one simple little GUI change, just one extra click or one simple icon change makes them run around with their hair on fire!
I have suggested, urged, encouraged, offered etc to no avail!
As I stated earlier, I would prefer to kill Skype with fire and install Jitsi or Pigin but that would cause them to hang themselves! (or me )

 

[GEGeek_ツ]

All of our systems use Skype for Business thats over 400+ machines and not one of them has had any reports of downtime. From the moment you made the post I did check our systems to see if I could offer some help but so far they're all up and running.

 

[Markverhyden]

Data, please!

 

[GTP]

Most importantly, why is it only happening to you?

Because my Mum always said "God would punish me for being a bad boy!" Lol
Anyway, seriously now , I have run Process Explorer, Process Monitor and that tool by Comodo, (KillSwitch), that hijacks the Windows Task Manager! Nothing out of place before or after, except Skypes disappearance!
Checked Alerts And Logs for anything I could find. System restore does not put Skype back either! (First thing I get the customer to do.)
All units running Emsisoft Antimalware managed via Kabuto, but I have many more with the same combo that don't have a problem.
One thing I have sort of narrowed down is Windows Defender Updates. I disable Defender with a couple of scripts but it still gets updates.
The disappearing Skype seems to happen (on some, not all) after a defender update.
More investigation is needed.

 

[GTP]

Are you sure about that? It sounds... impossible. Is there a chance that Skype is being reinstated by the system restore and then immediately removed by something else?

Anything is possible I suppose, but I can find nothing to back it up. (no pun intended).
No, it's not possible to remove Windows Defender from any version of Windows. Its part of the OS like Windows Media player.
There are various scripts that disable realtime scanning, startup, kill it's service etc, but not uninstall it.
It happens on Windows 7 and 10, so far no one with Windows 8.1 has come forward, but I only have less than half dozen who use 8.1 anyway.
I have been comparing installed software, updates, AV Updates, startup programs, etc between machines to try to find a common denominator. So far nothing apart from my suspicions about Defender.
One of the first things I checked was the Emsisoft logs as I initially suspected it, but, alas, it's not.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Just so you don't feel like you're loosing it, @Barcelona, I had Skype disappear from my x86 backup system and had to re-install it about a week ago. I thought it strange at the time, but didn't pursue it -- I simply re-installed it without problem. It's been operating fine ever since. I don't recall uninstalling it before putting the system aside until it was required, but who knows--it's been a while since I last used it. If it happens again, I'll be back.

 

[GTP]

Just so you don't feel like you're loosing it, @Barcelona, I had Skype disappear.....

Thanks @Larry Sabo Yes, that's all I do as well, just reinstall it, only takes a few minutes.
If it happens again for you, and you have the time of course, have a look and see if it leaves anything behind.
In all my cases it is gone as if it never existed in the first place.
Of all the ones I've done only 2 have had it multiple times. Trying to find a common denominator for it.